


A Possibility

by SixDots



Series: Welcome to Rapture [2]
Category: BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games), BioShock Infinite
Genre: F/F, First Date, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 06:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20652683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SixDots/pseuds/SixDots
Summary: Rosalind Lutece finally asks Tenenbaum out for dinner.





	A Possibility

**Author's Note:**

> I've never really written much Romance before so I hope this is okay :) 
> 
> Set in an AU completely separate to infinite where the Luteces are actual twins that moved to Rapture to do science.

Rosalind takes a deep breath. 

Sitting with Tenenbaum for their break is normal, it’s been a routine for the three of them for at least a couple of months now.

They’d managed to find the perfect bench, just hidden enough that no one ever disturbs them and with the perfect view of the ocean outside. Usually they’d sit in relative silence, someone chiming in with the occasional comment, but mostly just watching whatever fish swim near the coral.

The time is comfortable rather than awkward and it’s become her favourite part of the day. 

Today will be different. 

Robert is staying back in the lab to sort out an issue and it’ll be just her and Tenenbaum which gives her the perfect opportunity to ask the other woman out to dinner. 

She tries to ignore the fact that she’s nervous, hoping that not addressing it might push the feeling further away. In the window beside her she checks she looks as composed as she always does, trying to refrain from fixing or fiddling with her hair.

Tenenbaum is a little later than usual, emerging from her lab with her bag over her shoulder and locking the door behind her. She notices Rosalind immediately, gives her the smallest smile before looking slightly to her left as if searching for something.

“He’s not coming, started some tests too late so he’s going to have his later” She offers as explanation, turning so they can start walking to their break spot. 

It’s empty as normal and Rosalind sighs as she sits down.

She pulls an apple out of her bag, polishing it a little with her hand before she takes a bite. Brigid pulls out her cigarettes next to her, swiftly lighting it before bringing it to her mouth. 

She looks at Rosalind, a curious look on her face that Rosalind isn’t quite sure how to interpret, before turning to observe the view beyond them.

They sit, as they always do, in comfortable silence.

Rosalind knows if she’s going to say something she needs to say it soon.

Part of her wants to sit like this forever, just take in the quiet and the pleasantness of the other woman’s company. She wants to hold onto this moment rather than risk loosing it. Then theres the chance of something else, of maybe seeing Tenenbaum’s smile more often than the fleeting one she see’s everyday, to spend more than just these few minutes together. 

There’s the possibilities of what could be and she knows her curiosity will always get the better of her.

“Brigid?” 

The other woman hums to indicate her attention.

She’s started now, she has to continue. She pulls together all the confidence she can.

“Would you perhaps fancy joining me for dinner?” She’s tries to sound as casual as she can aware she possibly sounds a little too emotionless in her delivery.

“As colleagues?” 

The other woman balances her cigarette in her hand, the smoke hovering and curling in the air around them before turning towards Rosalind, searching her face with unwavering scrutiny.

“I was thinking more as friends,” Rosalind manages to get out, trying not to flinch under the gaze then hesitantly adding “or well, more than friends”

Tenenbaum doesn’t reply, her face almost unreadable, a slight hint of curiosity in her eyes.

“Like a date?” She asks

Rosalind nods hoping her nerves don’t show through, mentally preparing herself to be rejected.

“With me?” 

She nods again. 

There’s a pause as Tenenbaum takes a long drag at the cigarette, watching Rosalind out the corner of her eye.

“Why?” it’s a sincere question, like the woman is trying to work something out. Rosalind ponders over how to respond.

“Because I like your company,” she pauses, Brigid is staring right at her, tilting her head a little, “And I like you” 

She starts to worry when the other woman remains silent.

“You’re allowed to say no” she rushes out, turning away as she does. Perhaps this was a bad idea, something she should have kept to herself. 

She’s surprised when the reply finally does come.

“Yes” 

Tenenbaum seems a little unsure, but she smiles softly, almost a little amused.

“Lutece, you may take me on a date”

—

“You asked her?” Robert questions when she arrives back to the lab.

She nods, trying not to constantly grin.

“She said yes” She starts pulling her lab coat on. They’d agreed on meeting that evening. 

Rosalind wasn’t sure she’d have been able to focus had they arranged it any later. As it is she still has the whole afternoon of work to focus on and she can barely concentrate for the rest of the day, trying her best to get back into the right mindset. Robert rolls his eyes several time’s when she happens to have zoned out midway through his talking.

When the day finally comes to an end it’s a blessing. 

Rosalind hadn’t quite let herself think much further than the invitation so she’s suddenly hit with the question of what to wear. 

She doesn’t want to overdress, doesn’t think she has the clothes to do so anyway, but she can’t just wear her usual work clothes. Clothing has always been about practicality and yet she wants this to feel at least a little bit special, something different. 

Eventually she settles on a dark red skirt and matching neck tie over a white blouse, a dark brown jacket pulled over the top. 

She decides against jewellery, always finds it a little too fiddly anyway.

“Skirt matches your hair” Robert comments.

“Is that a compliment or-“

“Compliment” She turns in the mirror checking everything’s smoothed down.

“you don’t think it’s too much”

“It suits you, the colour”

“We should get you a matching suit then” 

He’s sat behind her, half watching, half writing something down.

“For Ryan’s next science party?” She snorts a little at his expression, he doesn’t look too thrilled at the idea.

“It’d be like when mother always dressed us in matching outfits”

“It’s not like we don’t still do that brother dear” 

She takes a deep breath. 

“You’ll be fine Rosie, whatever happens I’ll still be here” He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It’ll be fine” She says, hoping saying it enough will give her the confidence she needs.

“It’ll be fine” he says in agreement. 

—

She’s early to arrive at the restaurant but it’s only a couple of minutes before Tenenbaum also arrives.

The woman looks stunning, she’s in a deep purple dress, red lipstick and her hair pinned back and neatly curled. She’s seen Tenenbaum dressed up before, they’ve been to enough events of sorts over the year, but Rosalind still can’t help put stare at her. 

She offers her arm as she comes over. 

“Good evening, you look lovely” She smiles. 

Brigid takes her arm and looks up at restaurant.

“You have been here before?” She questions, it’s slightly off the main streets and allys of restaurants but still bustling and busy.

“Robert suggested it so the blame goes all to him if anything is off” She leads them inside.

A man phases into existence before them as they enter, a type of splicing that’s becoming more and more common in these settings. Rosalind can see Brigid trying to hold back her fascination, it’s not often you get to see something you’ve worked on being used outside a lab. 

He leads them to a table at the edge of the restaurant, tucked away a little and looking out on a window that seems to stretch on forever. 

It offers a wide view of the city surrounding them, filled with flashing lights distorted thought the water that reminds her of the view from their bench. It’s nice to have the familiarity and she wonders if Robert had had any say in it. 

They order wine and starters, some sort of fish soup that looks questionable but tastes wonderful. 

“Sometimes, when we are locked in those labs for so long, it feels like we could be anywhere,” Brigid comments as their main course arrives, “Then I will see the sea and I remember”

“Do you ever miss it?”

“Life above?”

Rosalind nods

“I do not” Tenenbaum responds without hesitation, “There is little there for me to miss.” There's a sadness clinging to her words but she still smiles a little.

“And you, Do you miss it?”

Rosalind takes a minute to think. 

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t, but only on occasions and it’s not the people or anything specific she misses but something else.

“I don’t regret coming here,” she says still thinking over her words, “but there are things I do miss”

“Anything particular?”

“I miss London” she confesses. 

She doesn’t usually like to think of home, her whole life she’d been desperate to leave it, but she still sometimes misses the streets, their childhood house, the libraries and parks they’d grown up in and the familiarity it all held.

“There are other things though,” she continues, moving the conversation back to science a little,” on occasions, I find it limiting here. To think we’ve go the whole ocean out there and we’ve contained ourselves to such a small section. I would like the option of more space to breath”

“Another lab?”

“Another Rapture, there are ideas that cannot be created in this enclosed environment” 

Brigid smiles at her curiously.

“Like what?”

“Like say, imagine other places you could hide cities” Rosalind say, half thinking aloud, “Here we have a city at the base of the ocean, Imagine say the opposite, a city in the sky” 

She can see Tenenbaum tilt her head, can almost see the thoughts going by as she considers the implications and requirements. 

“It’s a grand plan,” She says arranging her cutlery on her plate.

“Possibly too grand, I don’t think there’s space for it in this life, maybe in another” Rosalind settles back in her chair.

“Perhaps in another world, Rosalind Lutece is building it as we speak,” Brigid say’s almost jokingly, “Perhaps she already has.”

“Maybe she’ll let us have a peek someday” she jokes along, “although I doubt she’d be one to share” 

— 

The meal was, as Robert had promised, extremely nice although she’s not sure it would have mattered if it hadn’t been. 

They’ve both been happily drifting between conversation and comfortable silence, simply enjoying each others company. Brigid is smiling to herself as she drinks the last bits of wine and Rosalind watched her carefully over the top of her own glass.

There’s less people in the restaurant and the music is softer now, the lights a little dimmer. 

“I’ve never done this before.” It’s almost soft enough that Rosalind doesn’t hear her.

“Been here?”

“Been on a date. All the men I’ve met have always wanted something else, I could never” She tilts the glass searching for the words, “Could never trust them, never saw anything genuine. I thought, this is okay, I will be alone, maybe forever. There is not time for romantic ideals in science anyway” 

Rosalind watches her carefully, not wanting to interrupt.

“But it is not like that with you," She seems not quite nervous, but a little less sure in her words, choosing them more carefully than normal, “We sit here and it is okay, I don’t have to worry, you are safe and that is nice” 

Rosalind puts her wine down leaning on the table and tilting her head. 

“I’m glad”

—

It’s almost empty outside when they leave, the streets lit by fake lighting, a little dimmer than normal to indicate a form of night time. 

They walk together, knowing they are heading the same way, arm in arm along the street. 

Rosalind is uncertain when they are outside Brigid’s house, not quite ready to leave the other woman and wondering how to slow time down. Brigid solves the problem for her, inviting her in so she can fetch a book she’d mentioned earlier.

Brigid takes her hand pulling her inside the door, letting it close behind them.It’s dark in the front hall, just the slight hint of a blue glow from the window, and she waits for the other woman to let go of her hand but she doesn’t.

She’s about to look up to question when she feels the other woman’s lips against her own. Its short and gentle, almost as if barley there and it surprises her a little. 

She can make out more of Brigid’s face in front of her, can almost see the blush against her skin.

She leans herself forwards and kisses the other woman back, smiling as she feels a hand at her waist and the other woman leaning into her more.It’s wonderful, nicer than anything Rosalind could ever imagine and she doesn’t want it to end but eventually they pull apart, still holding onto each other. 

“I was thinking, we should do this again” Brigid says quietly

“Kissing?”

“Everything” 

“That sounds a wonderful idea” Rosalind whispers back taking Brigid’s hands in her own.

“I’ll be seeing you tomorrow”

“Of course, Goodnight Lutece”

—

Rosalind’s still grinning when she reaches her own home, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

The light’s on and Robert looks up from where he’s scribbling away on several pieces of paper to greet her.

“I’m assuming it went well by your face”

“Hmm, indeed, it went wonderful”

“I did tell you it would be okay”

“Finally you were right about something” 

“I’m right about things all the time?” she messes his hair as she passes him to hang her coat up.

“Hey Robert?” he hums in response

“Thank you”

“You’re the one who actually did it”

“But thanks for, you know, being here”

“hmm of course, anything for my favourite sister” He smiles. Then she flicks the light off.

“I take that back, you are my least favourite sister”

“I’m your only sister, and as your sister it’s my responsibility to makes sure you get sleep, my love to you dear brother, goodnight”

She laughs as she hears him scrabbling around, retreating to her room and grinning as she remembers the possibilities that tomorrow might hold.


End file.
